Soulmates Never Die
by avalonwing
Summary: Who is Murata to deny an ancient king what he wants. Contains Yuuram.


_Do you really believe that a love can last more than one lifetime? _

Murata smiled and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, walking through the Tomb of the Great One. Several beautiful shrine maidens gave him friendly smiles as he passed by, each completely consumed in their own tasks. For once, he wasn't focused on keeping up the charade that he was a teenage Japanese boy in the midst of his own fantasy of gorgeous women at his beck and call.

It was getting harder and harder to look to the present and future when one was so entirely surrounded by the shadows of his past lives. Of course there was an obvious reason for that.

Murata paused at the open courtyard, gazing at the fountain in the center that he and Yuuri Shibuya had been forced to soak in many times when they traveled back into this world. His smile grew fonder as he thought back to the many adventures and conflicts that the kindhearted demon king had dragged him and his protectors into.

It had been just this morning that Yuuri had come to him for advice, looking slightly anxious and bright-eyed with energy. The king had sat down with Murata and told him something that the Royal Love Lottery instigators would have died to hear.

_Murata, oh god, I think I'm in love with Wolfram. _

Murata had given the Demon King a knowing look and a deliberately puzzled smile and reveled in breaking the news to the slightly homophobic teenager that everyone had already known that.

Yuuri had tried to insist that he still wasn't a homosexual, _he wasn't,_ it was just that Wolfram was so persistent and demanding, and he wore a pink nightgown to bed! What was a hot-blooded male supposed to do about that?

Murata had gave him a few suggestions that had made Yuuri's nose bleed and a few tips to make the nights pass much more nicely. Hell, you didn't live as many lives as the Great Sage had and not pick up a few tricks along the way.

Yuuri had shied away and pretended to protest and call Murata a pervert, but the Great Sage had picked up an interested gleam in his black eyes that proved the double black wasn't as innocent as the kingdom believed him to be.

The two men had sat in the courtyard side by side, the shrine maidens trying to pass close enough to eavesdrop, but a meaningful glance by Murata sent them skittering away. Yuuri had had his head angled down, arms resting on his raised knees.

_He's just so beautiful you know, Murata? More beautiful than a boy has a right to be. And he has the most incredible spirit. I guess I just never stood a chance, as soon as I had met him.. I was done for. _

Murata did know, more than Yuuri thought he did. Wolfram's resemblance to Shinou was eery and extremely distracting for the Great Sage. When Murata had first journeyed to this world and layed eyes on the Demon King's new fiance, his heart had jumped into his throat and he experienced shortness of breath. His heart had cried out, _Shinou? Is it really you, after all this time? Do you have any idea how much I've missed-_

His joy had been strangled to death when he had noticed the slight differences in appearance that marked Lord von Bielefeld apart, and the extreme differences in temperament. Besides, it was clear to anyone who wasn't a wimp of a Demon King to be able to tell that the fire demon had only eyes for a particularly clueless boy. And Murata had done his best to encourage their relationship, even as it reminded him of his own loneliness and lack of a mate.

_Remember, you promised yourself you would move forward in this life. You are Ken Murata. _

Watching the two boys verbally spar with one another, both trying to appear to the other that they weren't having a blast in the other's company hit a little too close to home, even as he appeared as unflappable as ever.

It had made Murata want to strangle Yuuri sometimes, his quiet avoidance of Wolfram. He had hated to see the desperate pain in the blonde's eyes as he insisted on the 'boys don't belong together' mentality, not because of any protective feelings Murata felt for Wolfram, but because Yuuri could have _everything _and he was throwing it all away.

Soulmates were not meant to be ignored.

It was really too bad how slow Yuuri was on the uptake. In all of Murata's past lives he could never understand how people would meet their heart's companion and just move on, like nothing unchangeable had happened. Like people found their other halves every day, _and oh my god is that a sale on bread? _

Murata snorted in annoyance at the stupidity of it all. Something precious like that should be treasured, guarded zealously against all others. Not set adrift because it didn't fit into their own expectations in their lives.

Like Yuuri had, when he had found out he was betrothed to a _guy. _Murata rolled his eyes a the blue sky and shook his head. Oh heaven forbid! Of course he refrained from giving unwanted advice to the king that would have sounded like _get your act together_, because apparently children needed time to grow up and come into themselves through their own mistakes and trials.

You can't solve people mistakes before they make them, it will never do them any good. No matter how painful it is to watch the ones you care about stumble around blindly in the dark, when you can clearly see the right path, clear as day, right in front of them. Murata ran a hand through his black hair. He had never actually seen himself as particularly wise, but if this is how normal people thought, then he considered himself lucky. Despite every excruciating death in the past.

Murata leaned against the railing, and stared at the floating lily pads without really seeing them. He forced himself to take a deep breath, sometimes all the past memories pressed down on him like nightmares, strangling his brain and threatening to take away his identity and replace it- replace _him_ as someone else.

It wasn't Yuuri's fault, or anyone elses that they were free of his burden. That this was their first lives and their first experiences, it wasn't like Yuuri could remember Julia's life anyway. It was easy for Murata to become irritated lately, watching the people around him laugh and cry over the most trivial of things, free of darkness. It wasn't their fault that he couldn't remember the last time he had really _laughed. _

Murata forced himself to take another staggered breath, trying desperately to shake off the melancholy that had been falling over him like a plague.

So when Yuuri had come here seeking reassurement from his childhood friend, Murata had given it to him. He had told Yuuri to find Lord von Bielefeld and ask him to marry him, to be spontaneous (if waiting years in an engagement involving no physical affection was considered spontaneous) because everything could disappear in the blink of an eye, the one you adore gone forever. That's a pain that Murata wouldn't wish on his worst enemy and definitely not his best friend.

_Please Yuuri, don't be like me. _

He had waited, as the Great Sage, waited because love was so fickle, so uncertain, and how could he have known about all the possible outcomes for a relationship, when he had known how to advise entire battles and starting a kingdom. So when beautiful Shinou had declared his interest in the double black, the Great Wise Man had told him no, that they were better off as best friends.

It would be the greatest mistake of all his lifetimes.

_Do you really believe that a love can last more than one lifetime? _Yuuri had asked him this morning. Murata had felt the gaping hole in his chest yawn and tear at the seams. How could Yuuri ask him that? Did nobody see him? Didn't anybody care?

How could Yuuri ask _him _that of all people?

So Murata had plastered a gentle smile on his face, angled his head a certain way so that the sunlight glinted off his glasses and masking his eyes and told the king what he wanted to hear, "Of course Yuuri. I don't think you and Wolfram have anything to worry about. You two were meant to be. So find him, and slap him good and hard, okay?" It had been worth it to see Yuuri's face light up with relief and hope. It was true after all, Yuuri hadn't struck Wolfram von Bielefeld that day because of an insult to his mother, the Demon King would have found any opportunity he could to claim the blonde, it had just given the Moah a likely excuse.

Yuuri had bounced to his feet, shifted in excitement, and called out an excited, "Thanks Murata! You're the best!" And then proceeded to sprint off like someone had set the back of his pants on fire.

Murata had shaken his head ruefully, unable to keep his laugh quiet. A shadow passing over his shoulder had alerted him to a presence over his right shoulder. A glint of silver hair and a peaceful voice had murmured, "That was a nice thing you did, Your Eminence."

Murata had let out a sigh, dropping the mask. "I can't hide anything from you, can I Ulrike?" He managed to keep his voice light and free of any despair. A rustle as the Oracle moved and her long robes dragged on the ground. A musical laugh chimed from the eight hundred year old child. "No you can't. I'm sorry, Your Eminence."

Murata leaned his head back to catch the sun's rays, remembering the silence afterwards between the Great Sage and the Oracle. He and Ulrike understood one another. They had both sacrificed so much for one man, for the same ideal, and they spent their days isolated away in a tomb, trying to put everyone's paths on the right track while sacrificing their own. Their lonelinesses complimented one another, and they would seek the other out for company, because the alternative was too damn painful.

His fist tightened on the railing, making the veins stand out. _Damn it! Why do I always do this?! Every life.. _

He and Ulrike had been just fine, trying to cope, finding the boxes and helping to rid the earth of their destructive power forever despite knowing what would happen to the Great One when they succeeded. It should have been the end of it, a moment where the Great Sage could look upon his old friend and say it, _Goodbye. I will never forget you. _

Or even, _I've always loved you. _

But no, why would any of Murata's lives ever be so easy? When would he ever catch a break? This was supposed to be his final life. He wanted to find peace and love of his own, go on his own adventures and live the easy life of Ken Murata. Everyone always underrated simplicity.

Shinou had decided to stay. Nevermind that the bastard had been dead for _centuries _and must be really damn bored sulking around his tomb and watching everyone else live their lives. Shinou was never meant to stay in one place for too long, he was always out changing the world, carving destinies for thousands. A being like that was never supposed to be trapped and confined. He should have jumped like everyone else at the chance to obtain eternal freedom.

It appeared that the Great Sage had underestimated the possessiveness that the Great One felt for his mate.

Once Shinou had been freed from the destructive magic of the originators, Murata had seen the exact moment where he had put his ancient foot down. Shinou's blue eyes had singled him out from the group and pierced straight through him, stripping him down to his soul. His eyes had lit up in recognition as their two souls danced in delight at the reunion. The question that soulmates always asked each other viscerally, screamed through Murata's heart in jubilation. _Hey you, don't I _know _you? _

The answer was reciprocated in the first Demon King's eyes and heart. And Murata knew, no good byes would ever be accepted from him.

Since then, the Great One had been a constant thorn in Murata's side. A thorn that Murata wasn't sure he would ever want to remove. Shinou now amused himself by causing everyone around him problems, of course when confronted stated that it was just playful _games, _harmless pranks. And that Murata was always so paranoid to suspect him. It seemed like Shinou had become even more insensitive to other people's emotions over the centuries. And Murata would have bet money that that would have been impossible.

"Remind me to put Lord von Bielefeld down for the Love Lottery." A deep voice resonated over Murata's shoulder. Murata couldn't help the slight shiver as Shinou's magnetic presence permeated through the double black's skin. _Damnit. _

"Oh yeah? Where are you going to get the money?"

"You've been avoiding me." Murata flinched slightly, keeping his eyes away from Shinou and doing his best to look unaffected. For whatever good it would do. Murata let out a strangled laugh.

"Did you think that I would not notice, My Sage?" Murata's eyes dragged seemingly of their own accord to meet with the powerful gaze of the Original Demon King. Shinou's infuriating smirk was in place, but the lines around his eyes and mouth revealed his inner disappointment. Shinou's gaze was guarded in a way they hadn't been in life, and it almost seemed that Shinou was hiding his hope that Murata would revert back into his old advisor again.

"I am Ken Murata, Shinou. How many times do I have to tell you that? The Great Sage is long dead." Murata kept his voice gentle, and his eyes filled with exasperated affection. _Why can't you love _me?

Shinou let out a low rumble in his throat, tilting his head to the side in a questioning manner. His stare seemed to search out every single one of Murata's secrets. Finally, Shinou closed his eyes and snorted disagreeably. "I find it so infuriating how you still hold onto your damn pride. Why couldn't you just bow down to me like everyone else?" Shinou slung his arms over the railing and leaned forward so that Murata could only see his profile.

"Because you would've been bored. And it's not good for you to have this many people raising you to all-knowing status. Your ego is sucking enough air out of this tomb as it is." Murata replied dryly. Shinou tilted his head back and laughed and Murata stared at the golden expanse of his throat, suddenly feeling like his mouth was parched.

"I suppose it isn't, _Murata." _Shinou conceded, making the double black's name sound as though it was the dullest thing to ever cross his royal mouth. His eyes slowly drifted across the boys face, and Murata could feel it like a physical stroke. "At least admit that your original name was much more beautiful."

Murata laughed a little more easily and ran a hair through his black hair under the watchful eyes of Shinou.

"Murata just doesn't sound sexy enough to call out in bed."

Murata choked on his laugh and started coughing, face coloring in a deep red. Shinou looked all too pleased with himself for shocking the normally wicked-minded teenager. Murata pulled himself under control and sent the blonde a glare. "Well it's not as though you'll ever find out."

"Ah, My Sage, you've forgotten how much I adore challenges." Shinou gave him a fixed look that seemed to contain every night that they had ever spent together and every wanton scream Murata had ever made in his original life. Murata found that he couldn't pull his gaze away even if he wanted to.

"It's not as though you can do anything. You're dead." Murata croaked, throat dry. Shinou gave Murata an arrogant grin, that said that he could do anything he liked, and how was a little thing like _dying _going to stop him?

"I mean it, you can't." Murata insisted, unsure of which one of them he was trying to persuade. _Not even Shinou can pull that off. _

The arrogant blonde raised one eyebrow in mock disdain before replying sarcastically, "Sure I can't."

Murata forced himself to take a deep calming breath. _Don't strangle the Great One. _He then plastered a grin on his face, angled his body towards his old friend and cheerily remarked, "Ah well, look at the time. I really must be going.. time sure flies when you're having fun-"

"Murata."

"I have so many things to do, people to see, bathrooms to unclog for beautiful priestesses. So it's been great talking to you _really-"_

"_Murata."_

"'But the Great Wise Man has his own duties- _oomph."_

Warm lips were pressed against his, cutting off his rambling. A large hand cupped the back of his neck possessively, fingers tangled in black hair to tilt his head back so his lips were accessible. A hot tongue swept against the insides of Murata's mouth like it was an old friend, or a conqueror taking land confident in his own success.

_Ah. _

Murata's usually overworked mind went blank and he struggled with himself to remain firm. He knew it wouldn't do any goods to pin his hopes in the past. He needed to strive for the future- no looking back. And absolutely _no _making out with his dead best friend.

But Shinou was so warm and familiar, and Murata's heart was beating a mile a minute. Shinou's lips were surprisingly soft, and after he realized he got his way, surprisingly gentle. Murata's brain emptied of any warnings or higher thought as he allowed himself to be consumed by his dear king.

Shinou was surrounding him, consuming him. Every breath Murata took was saturated in his clean smell, his vision was blocked with blonde hair, the back of his neck and waist tingled from the Great One's hands. And his mouth, my God his mouth… _What are you doing to me? _

He was being devoured.

Finally, finally, Shinou let his lips slide off the double black's. Murata wished he could say that he had the strength to pull away but he merely stood there, back arched towards the other man. His heart beating so fast he thought it would fly away. Shinou lifted his head languorously from the smaller boy's mouth, eyes lidded with lust. His blue eyes measured Murata's response before allowing himself a confident and triumphant smile.

Murata shook his head to try and shake off the fog of desire that clouded his mind. He forced himself to gather his thoughts and listen to the tiny voice of warning that had been screeching at him. _No, no. Come on, remain unaffected. You can do this Murata. _Murata gave Shinou a grin that he prayed didn't look wobbly. Striving for the right angle to make the sun reflect off his glasses, he loftily muttered, "Are we done here? I do have pressing matters to attend."

Shinou's grin fell of his face so fast that Murata would've been amused had they been in any other situation, right now he was focused on repressing the blush that wanted to bathe his cheeks. He clasped both his hands together in an effort to calm their shaking. He should have been focusing his attention on the infuriated king who was murderous after realizing that the Great Sage was preparing to deny him in yet another life.

The blonde's eyes glinted in anger at the obvious challenge. It was obvious that he thought Murata was rejecting him due to some inane worry or thought that Murata wanted his attention by playing hard to get. Murata gulped audibly as Shinou drew himself up to his full, imperious height, head tilted to look down his nose at the double black. The corner of his beautiful mouth curled up sardonically. "Is that so?" was all Shinou murmured softly.

Murata could feel what color his cheeks had rush away from his face. _Oh shit. _Shinou lightly stepped forward, closing what distance Murata had managed to put between them. He was close enough for Murata to feel his energy and power that the blonde managed to exude even after death. Shinou's smirk spread across his face in an expression that screamed, _I've got you now. No more running. _

_Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. _

"Listen," Murata croaked from a suddenly dry throat, " We shouldn't-"

He got no farther as Shinou picked him up as though he weighed less than a feather and tossed Murata over his shoulder. Spinning around, he strode arrogantly towards the door the lead away from the courtyard and into the indoor rooms. Murata abandoned dignity and began flailing his arms and kicking his legs wildly. "Put me down! Shinou you barbarian- _Argh. _What in the hell is wrong with you?!"

The priestesses patrolling the inner sanctum, with their extremely deadly spears that they threatened Murata with on occasion, merely giggled when they noticed the Great One kidnapping the Wise Man. "Really ladies?! You have no problem threatening _me! _Help a guy out!" One of them turned and blew him a kiss. "Have fun, Your Emminence." Another called out, "Don't do anything we wouldn't do!"

Shinou turned a corner into the darkened hallway and Murata could practically feel his utter amusement. "Oh _nice _ladies. Real classy! Guess who is never getting their toilet unclogged again- _umph." _Murata's rant was cut off as the breath was slightly knocked out of him when Shinou rudely adjusted him on his shoulder. "Hey!"

"Quiet, Murata. I've had enough of your squawking." Shinou rumbled, his entertainment obvious. "Squawking? How dare you-" Murata began firing a series of impressive curses in fourteen different languages. In his past lives he had picked up the most foul words of every time period, and he used them all to his advantage. Slightly impressed, Shinou simply cocked an eyebrow and kicked open a door. Murata trailed off when he registered that they had arrived at his bedroom.

Shinou took a few long strides and before tossing Murata on the bed. Murata bounced a couple times from the impact before he swept his hair from his eyes and adjusted his glasses. _Be firm, Murata. _"Just what do you think-"

"I've decided I'm done, _Murata." _Shinou interrupted seriously. Shinou's hands moved to his own neck and unbuckled the clasp that held his cape. Murata's body trembled with excitement when it dropped to the floor in a decisive thud. "I don't understand why you continue to deny us. Why you continue to punish yourself and therefore me. Or is it something I've done? Have I done you great harm and I'm too stupid or selfish to realize it? Because I am so-" Shinou's voice grew increasingly louder and tinged with desperation. Murata flinched with guilt. _Oh god, what have I put him through? _

"Shinou." Murata tried, but Shinou kept up his rant and ignored him. "Shinou!" But the blonde was completely consumed in the past and his own quiet despair and loneliness that he had carried for so long. It had caused him to snap. Murata silently got up and walked towards the king.

_Do you really believe that a love can last more than one lifetime? _

Murata felt the gaping chasm of loneliness in his chest, present for longer than anyone had been alive, He never knew that Shinou carried a matching one in his chest. He had been childish, and a coward. Searching and protecting his dead love's kingdom, and then moaning that he wasn't free. Desiring freedom and achieving it, but hating it because _something _was missing. Murata realized he was full of contradictions, as naive as Yuuri except without a good excuse. He was a hypocrite, judging those around him for making mistakes about love only to do the same thing.

It was time he finally grew up and took what he wanted.

Shinou's massive, proud shoulders were held rigidly, waiting for the inevitable rejection from his oldest friend. His eyes sought Murata's desperately but held quiet resignation in their depths. Murata walked over and calmly, like he had done it forever, stretched himself up to kiss Shinou on the mouth.

Sparks zapped down the double black's spine as he held himself up on his tip toes to reach the taller man. Shinou's lips were as warm as before, but pliant in surprise. Murata pressed his advantage by reaching up to wrap his hands in the blonde tresses at the base of Shinou's neck. Shinou gave a surprised groan in the back of his throat before he began to press the advantage and dominating over Murata's mouth. Shinou's hands no longer stayed safely contained at Murata's waist and pressed lower, leaving no part of him untouched.

_Ah. _

Shinou broke the contact abruptly, Murata made a pitiful noise at the separation that he would never admit making. Their heavy breaths bathing each of their faces the only sounds in the still room. Their eyes didn't break the intense connection for a second.

"I need an answer." Shinou growled, the sound infiltrating the silence.

Murata was consumed in that moment of every memory of his life leading up to this moment. Every dream he ever had for his future, everything he had ever worked for. There was really only one answer.

"Yes. God, Shinou. _Yes." _

Shinou gave a feral, wild grin. Victorious as last. "Forever then."

* * *

As Murata stood to Yuuri's right in the Great Hall of the castle, watching Lord von Bielefled and the Demon King marry in front of hundreds of their closest friends and allies he couldn't keep the smile off of his face. A real smile. Because he knew and could now empathize with the utter joy and adoration on Yuuri's face, having found and mated with his other half. He was a lighter version of himself, a better version. And as he lifted his face to see Shinou lounging on a balcony, winking at him lecherously, long legs dangling through the railings he knew he had made the right decision for all of his lifetimes.

* * *

**Author's Note****: Damn I really wanted to try writing something a little more M rated. I guess I'm just too shy or something. Let me know what you think of the ending, it wasn't how I thought it would go but this has been sitting on my dash for a while and I had to finish it. If the ending is a little rushed please let me know, I shall go back and fix it. Sorry for those who favorite/follow ****Don't Worry My Love** **I will try to pick it back up but no promises! I'm thinking about leaving this fandom for a little bit and writing something for ****Supernatural! ****Anyways, thanks for those who have reviewed/favorite/follow or just read! It's extremely appreciated!**


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